TL;DR Sheffield marked silver with a crown from 1773 until 1974, and with a Yorkshire rose since 1975. Its first date letters, from 1773 to 1823, were picked in no alphabetical order, so they need a table. From 1824 they ran in sequence, changing each July, until the shared UK letter arrived in 1975. The office still operates.
A crown on sterling means Sheffield marked it before 1975; a rose means Sheffield marked it in 1975 or later. Sheffield gained its assay office in the same 1773 Act as Birmingham, after its silversmiths petitioned Parliament. The office struck its first mark on 20 September 1773.
Why did Sheffield change from a crown to a rose?
Sheffield used a crown for silver from 1773 and a rose for gold from 1904, when it was first allowed to assay gold. The Hallmarking Act 1973 made the four UK offices use common marks, and from 1975 Sheffield struck the rose on both metals. The crown left Sheffield silver after 200 years.
The rose causes one trap. A crown also appears on British gold as an optional mark beside 18 or 22 carat, and it has nothing to do with Sheffield. Read a crown as Sheffield only on silver, beside the lion passant. The crown mark guide covers the other meanings.
How do Sheffield date letters work?
Sheffield date letters from 1773 to 1823 were chosen without alphabetical order: the first years ran E, F, D, R, H. From 1824 the letters follow the alphabet in cycles that changed each July, on the first Monday of the month, until 1974. From 1975 Sheffield uses the shared UK letter, changing on 1 January.
| Years | Letters |
|---|---|
| 1773 to 1798 | Capitals in no fixed order |
| 1799 to 1823 | Capitals in no fixed order |
| 1824 to 1843 | Lower case, 20 letters |
| 1844 to 1867 | Capitals, 24 letters |
| 1868 to 1892 | Capitals, 25 letters |
| 1893 to 1917 | Blackletter lower case, 25 letters |
| 1918 onward | New lower-case cycle |
| 1975 onward | Shared UK letter |
Between 1780 and 1853 small Sheffield pieces often carry the crown and date letter in a single punch.
Is Old Sheffield Plate hallmarked?
No. Old Sheffield Plate, the fused copper and silver sheet developed by Thomas Boulsover around 1742, was never assayed and carries no hallmark. Makers' marks on plate can look like hallmarks, and a 1784 Act let Sheffield register makers' marks on plated wares within 100 miles. Only a crown with a lion passant means solid silver.
Anything else needs checking against the sterling versus plate guide.
How do you date a Sheffield-marked piece?
- Crown on silver means 1773 to 1974; rose on silver means 1975 or later.
- Before 1824, use a Sheffield table: the letters do not follow the alphabet.
- From 1824, place the letter by case and typeface, allowing for the July changeover.
- A sovereign's head duty mark narrows the date to 1784 to 1890.
Other offices: London , Birmingham , Edinburgh , Glasgow , Chester , Dublin . All seven compared on the assay office marks page.
Sources
- Sheffield Assay Office: history
- Sheffield Assay Office, Wikipedia
- Sheffield hallmarks (date tables after Jackson, 1921)
- Hallmark, Wikipedia
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a crown hallmark on silver mean?
On British sterling with a lion passant, a crown is the Sheffield assay office mark, used from 1773 to 1974. On gold, a crown is a separate optional mark beside the carat or fineness number and does not mean Sheffield. Since 1975 Sheffield has marked silver with a rose instead.
When did Sheffield start using the rose?
Sheffield first used the rose on gold from 1904, when it was allowed to assay gold. Under the Hallmarking Act 1973 it adopted the rose for silver too, starting in 1975, and the crown was retired. A rose on sterling therefore means Sheffield work from 1975 onwards.
Why are early Sheffield date letters confusing?
From 1773 to 1823 Sheffield's guardians picked each year's letter without following the alphabet, so the sequence began E, F, D, R, H. These years can only be dated with a Sheffield table. From 1824 the letters follow the alphabet in regular cycles.
